Key battle: Lions honours await winner of heavyweight No.8 duel

Can Taulupe Faletau roll back the years and go on a fourth Lions tour or will England talisman Ben Earl wear the iconic red jersey at the back of the scrum? This intriguing contest could go a long way in settling that decision.

Ireland captain Caelan Doris looks set to be number one choice for Andy Farrell meaning there may only be space for one other specialist No.8 Down Under.

Earl can play with equal aplomb as an openside flanker but is largely deployed as an 8 and given the fast, hard surfaces in Australia, he'd love to be given the opportunity to break off scrums.

Wales centurion Faletau, 34, is in the twilight of his rugby career but still guarantees metres every time he touches the ball as the legendary forward continues to utilise every ounce of his 110kg frame.

In contrast, 27-year-old Earl, who is slighter at 102kg, is much more of a dynamic forward, known for lung-busting surges upfield, thriving in open space.

The juxtaposition between the two is a fascinating duel in Cardiff between the 2024 England Player of the Year and arguably Wales' most consistent player for the best part of a decade.

Faletau possesses a wicked step if needed but would rather run over his less experienced English counterpart, while Earl would love nothing more than beating the Welsh veteran on the outside on his way to scoring another international try.

The Saracens back row could feature at inside centre for the first time if Steve Borthwick shuffles his team around given he's named only one out and out midfielder in Fraser Dingwall, with usual back-three player Tommy Freeman alongside his Northampton Saints teammate in the middle.

That would potentially mean even more space for Earl to thrive in or will Borthwick's lack of central options come back to bite him with Faletau standing tall on Saturday evening?